


Displacement

by AngelQueen87



Series: Retrograde [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drama, Family, Family Feels, Fuinjutsu, Gen, Rinne Festival, Time Travel, Uzumaki World-Building
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:22:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23473906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelQueen87/pseuds/AngelQueen87
Summary: Boruto makes the mistake of opening the wrong scroll and finds himself standing in Konoha of the past. In order to make his way back home, he turns to the only person who can help him.Time Travel AU that takes place in the Retrograde universe.
Relationships: Namikaze Minato/Uzumaki Kushina, Uzumaki Boruto & Uzumaki Kushina, Uzumaki Boruto & Uzumaki Naruto
Series: Retrograde [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1307900
Comments: 37
Kudos: 173





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just another little sneak peak into Retrograde's endgame, same as "That Time Sasuke Accidentally Ended Up in the Past" but this time it's Boruto's turn.
> 
> Takes place sometime post Boruto's chunin exams.

The boy’s eyes snapped open and he bolted up into a sitting position. His fingers twitched in the direction of his shuriken pouch as he quickly scanned his surroundings, but he was alone. In fact, he was in one of the safest places he could be.

He got to his feet and spun around in a slow circle. “Hello? Mom, Hima, you guys still here?” he called out.

No answer.

The mask storage temple turned out to be empty after a quick search. He couldn’t even find a trace of his mom’s or little sister’s lingering chakra or his dad’s familiar signature that clung to the protective seals that he reapplied every year like clockwork. It was weird, and he didn’t like it. And even worse, it looked like someone had messed with the masks so they weren’t in the right order anymore.

No one touched the masks unless they wanted to die. Some unfortunate idiot had tried to steal one when he was little, and it wasn’t pretty when Granny had finished with them.

“Huh. Sucks to be them,” he muttered under his breath, tossing one last glance at the wall behind him before leaving.

If Mom and Hima weren’t back at the storage temple, then they had to be at home or maybe at Grandpa’s. And if he couldn’t find them at either of those places, then he’d just have to go tell his old man about the masks.

But he didn’t make it very far.

Once he broke through the trees, it only took a single glance at the village in front of him to know something’s wrong. The trains he liked to ride on top of with Shikadai were gone along with the tall skyscrapers behind the Hokage Rock. And the Rock…it only had four faces carved into it.

“What the hell…” He desperately scrubbed at his eyes but nope. Three faces were still missing.

But that was impossible. There was no way three massive stone heads could just disappear!

His fingers flew up to form a hand seal and he released some chakra in a single, sharp burst. “Release!” But the sight in front of him didn’t change, immediately ruling out genjutsu.

He ran at top speed into the village, panic coursing through his veins and muddling his thoughts. There was no way in hell this was happening. It just wasn’t. No way, no how it was.

Mom and Granny were going to kill him once they got their hands on him.

Assuming he made it home.

He tripped at the thought, but instead of getting a face full of dirt warm hands grab him by the shoulders and kept him upright. “Uncle Neji?” he blurted out, gaping up at his savior.

The man frowned at him, expression somewhat stern as he looked him over. “Excuse me?” And nope. Definitely not him. Another Hyūga but definitely not his uncle.

 _Grandpa_ , he realized after quickly scanning the man’s face and he jumped backward, throwing his hands off him.

“Sorry, sir!” And he was off again, this time in the direction of Hokage Tower. He had a vague idea of what was going on, especially after that encounter, but he still needed to see it with his own eyes. Then he could really freak out and panic about his situation.

The familiar sight of the tower came into view and after a quick search of his surroundings the boy stumbled across a whole bunch of shinobi hidden in every nook and cranny around the office. _Anbu,_ he realized. A lot more than he was used to being around since his old man had become Hokage, but not really that surprising if his estimations were correct. Judging by how young Grandpa looked and the number of Stone Faces along with the current state of the temple, it had to have been some time after the Third Shinobi World War, but before Dad was born if what he’d read in his academy history books and what Granny had told him was right.

But even knowing that, he still needed to see it with his own two eyes to be sure.

He ducked into a dark alley off the main road and quickly suppressed his chakra signature, making it as small and unnoticeable as he could. Once he was done, the boy stealthily made his way toward Hokage Tower until he stood at the base of the building. “Here goes nothing,” he muttered to himself before scaling the wall in front of him until he was perched on the ledge of the window.

With shaky fingers, he slid it open and swung inside the Hokage’s office. A quick glance at the desk and his heart sunk. The empty instant ramen noodle cups and the framed photo Dad kept were missing along with the computer monitor. His eyes swept around the rest of the office and he froze. A pair of familiar blue eyes stared back at him from across the room. The boy twisted and made to dive back out the window, but he never made it.

“Whoa, there!” the man exclaimed as he squirmed and clawed at the hand holding him up off the ground by the back of his jacket. “I’m not going to hurt you, kid.”

He kicked out uselessly and tried jamming his elbow back into the man’s stomach, but he easily dodged the blow. “Let go of me!” he cried.

“Only if you tell me who you are and what you’re doing here,” he negotiated, turning the boy around so he could peer curiously at him. “Does that sound fair?”

Not seeing any other way out, he nodded, crossing his arms with a sigh. “Boruto,” he told him, feeling stupid as he dangled from his grandfather’s hand. “My name’s Boruto.”

Grandpa Hokage smiled and he gently lowered Boruto back to stand on the floor, but pointedly kept a firm grip on his shoulder. “See? That wasn’t so hard now was it?” He smiled again, but something about it made Boruto want to run even more. “Now how about you tell me why you snuck into my office.”

Boruto glanced at the desk behind his grandfather before quickly looking away again. “I was just looking for my dad,” he said truthfully with a shrug. “I thought he might’ve been here. There was something I needed to ask him.”

His grandfather’s smile was still firmly in place as he stared down at him, but there was something cold and calculating in his eyes now. And he didn’t like it one bit. “Is that so? Then why did you try to run when you saw me?”

“Because you’re the Hokage!” he blurted out, “I snuck into your office and saw you standing there! What else was I supposed to do?”

Grandpa Hokage hummed under his breath, still staring him down. “I see. Are you a genin, Boruto?” he suddenly asked, pointing at the hitai-ate tied around his head. “I’m surprised I’ve never met you before.”

Boruto’s eyes went wide. “Uhh...Yeah. Th-that’s because...uh.” And he twisted out of his grip and backflipped out the open window. “See you later, Gramps!” he called out as he free fell before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

The real Boruto leapt up onto his feet and dove out of the alley behind the teahouse on the other side of the village. He ran at full speed, quickly scaling the side of the first building he came across to sprint across the rooftops. Not wanting to take any chances, he brought his hands up to form the clone seal and four more Borutos popped into existence. The clones immediately split off in different directions and Boruto kept going, jumping from rooftop to rooftop as the angry and confused shouts for him to stop sounded from all over the village. He outran his pursuers for the better part of the day before finally holing himself up inside the old castle near the hot springs.

Once the sun went down and all of his clones had returned, Boruto cautiously made his way to the only place he was sure to get help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to hear what you guys think so far ^_^
> 
> Up next is Boruto again!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the love last chapter! 
> 
> If anybody's confused this chapter, I'm making a bunch of references to the parent story "Retrograde." That includes the introduction of one of the characters. I suggest checking that story out too!

The old traditional house he’d spent countless hours of his childhood running around was exactly the same as it was back home. Even the garden was impeccably taken care of with its rows of medicinal plants and vegetables. The only thing that seemed different was the excessive number of tomato plants Uncle Sasuke cared for were missing. Boruto dragged his eyes from the garden and sprinted toward the door.

“Granny! Granny Fumiyo!” he called out as he flung the door open and hurriedly toed his sandals off. The overwhelming smell of sealing ink immediately assaulted his nose, but he ignored it and kept going. “Granny, I need your help! I opened a scroll at the storage temple and then there was this _huge_ bright light and...” His words died on his lips as he skidded to a stop once he saw the three people standing in the kitchen.

“Granny?” his father’s great-aunt repeated indignantly from the counter where she was chopping vegetables. She sent him a look that made his face burn red. “Do I look old enough to be somebody’s grandmother?”

Boruto took a hesitant step closer to her, ignoring the two other people in the room. “Auntie?” he tried again, the moniker awkward on his lips.

“Much better.” Her familiar purple eyes narrowed as she scrutinized him from head to toe. “So, you’re the boy who caused quite an uproar in the village today,” she finally said.

“Yeah,” he agreed, moving even closer to her. “I didn’t want to get locked up before getting the chance to talk to you.”

Granny Fumiyo put down her knife, wiping her hands on a towel as she closed the distance between them. “Me?” she questioned, pointing a dubious finger at herself. “Why would you risk the Hokage’s wrath just to talk to me?” she asked, glancing over at the man hovering behind him.

He glanced back at Grandpa Hokage, confusion and suspicion staring back at him, and he ducked his head in embarrassment. “I’ll admit I kinda freaked out earlier. But in my defense, I was already freaking out and seeing you just made it worse,” Boruto tried to explain, scratching self-consciously at the back of his head. “Sorry about that, Gramps.”

A small noise that kind of sounded like a muffled laugh escaped from the third person in the room and all eyes landed on her. “Gr-gr-Gramps!” she spluttered, doubling over in laughter as she clutched at her stomach. “You hear that, Minato. He’s calling you old!”

“Well, what else am I supposed to call him, Grandma?”

And like a switch had been flipped, her laughter died, and she turned on Boruto with a furious glare. “What did you just call me, you little brat?” she growled.

Boruto yelped and he flung himself at Granny Fumiyo, fingers tightly clutched in the thick fabric of her haori. He hid his face in her back without shame, the memory of his little sister turning her wrath on him and completely knocking their dad out with a single hit to his tenketsu immediately coming to mind. A shudder ran through him and his grip tightened.

“Kushina,” he heard Grandpa Hokage try to soothe her. “He probably didn’t mean it. He’s just a kid.”

Grandma let out an angry sound of disbelief. “But you heard him, Minato! He called me old!”

“He called all three of us old, Kushina,” Granny Fumiyo said sharply. She reached behind her and gently pried the boy free from her haori, gently taking his hands in hers as she knelt in front of him. “She’s not going to hurt you, child. Kushina can be all bark and no bite sometimes.” She tipped her head to the side as her sharp purple eyes swept over his face, gaze briefly lingering on the hitai-ate on his head. “Want to tell me what’s going on?”

Boruto let out a heavy sigh as he met her gaze. “I need your help, Granny,” he begun. “I did something stupid and I can’t get home now.”

Her eyes narrowed at his words. “Why come to me specifically and not the Hokage? He is our village leader, after all. Surely, he would have been able to help you if you hadn’t run away,” she wondered, closely watching as a frown immediately pulled at his mouth.

“Because no matter how talented he is, Grandpa Hokage is nowhere near as knowledgeable in fūinjutsu as the Ogre Bride,” he told her, shaking his head. “And besides, you’re the only one who’s used a seal like the one in the scroll I opened.”

Grandpa Hokage stepped closer with Grandma behind him. “Is that why you ran from me earlier, Boruto?” he asked curiously. “Because you knew I couldn’t help you?”

Boruto stared intently at Fumiyo as he carefully thought over his response. He’d be able to clearly communicate his situation to his great-great-aunt, but it also meant revealing something the other two would reject on principle because of how crazy it sounded even though it was the truth. And once he said it, he wouldn’t be able to take it back.

But he couldn’t turn to anyone else.

“I ran because you weren’t the Hokage I was looking for,” he finally answered, still staring at Granny Fumiyo. “I ran because where I’m from you aren’t the current Hokage anymore.”

As expected, his grandparents immediately reject his words, but Boruto blocked them out and focused entirely on Fumiyo. Her hands tighten around his painfully as tears gathered in her eyes, but she never looked away from him. Understanding flooded her expression and she pulled him closer to her protectively.

“Who are you, child?” she whispered, and his grandparents fell silent.

A wide, relieved smile stretched across his face. “I’m Boruto Uzumaki, y’know!” he said, “I’m your great-great nephew, Granny Fumiyo!”

Tears spilled down her cheeks when he said this, and she flung herself at him, wrapping Boruto in a near suffocating hug. It’s the same as the one she always gave when she came home and it’s comforting when he hugged her back.

“I’m so, so sorry. So sorry,” she cried over and over again in his ear. It made Boruto’s eyes sting to hear her say this, but he understood. He knew why she kept apologizing, but she shouldn’t have to.

Boruto tightened his arms around her waist and shook his head. “It’s not your fault, Granny,” he told her, “It’s mine. You, Mom, and even Dad warned me not to randomly open some of the scrolls at the storage temple.”

“That jutsu,” she sobbed quietly. “That damned jutsu. I wish I’d never laid eyes on it.”

“You don’t honestly believe him, do you, Aunt Fumiyo?” Grandma sharply demanded, throwing a suspicious glare in his direction. “He’s lying. There’s no way that’s true.”

Granny Fumiyo stiffly pulled away from Boruto only to take him by the shoulders and turn him so he was facing his grandparents. “Look into this child’s face and honestly tell me you do not see yourself and Minato in the boy, Kushina,” she demanded and Boruto was grateful he couldn’t see the expression on her face. “Because when I look at him, I see you when you were his age.” Granny Fumiyo suddenly tickled him under the arms and he couldn’t stop the laugh that came out. “And this smile is your smile. It’s your grandfather’s smile,” she said, playfully poking at his cheek. Before he could swat her hand away, she was already ruffling his hair. “And there has never been an Uzumaki with such vibrant blond hair like this or eyes as blue as his are before. I’m even willing to bet that the parent he got these traits from has them, too. Am I right, Boruto?”

Grandma and Grandpa Hokage both look at him for confirmation and he quickly nodded, suddenly uncomfortable under their scrutiny. “Yeah. Back home, Granny always says that if it weren’t for our high chakra reserves it’d be easy to think we weren’t Uzumakis. She sometimes likes to point to your picture, Gramps, and blame you for that.”

Grandpa Hokage blushed with an embarrassed smile, scratching at the back of his head self-consciously, and Boruto couldn’t help but think of his old man. “Yeah, I guess that would be my fault, huh?” he chuckled wryly.

“I still don’t believe it,” Grandma said, staring at Boruto and Granny Fumiyo through narrowed purple eyes. “Show us some proof, kid.”

Boruto frowned, thinking hard. He could show her his Rasengan, but if he was honest, he was sure it would only interest his grandfather. And trying to produce the kind of chains Granny made from her chakra was completely out of the question. That left trying to show her a sealing jutsu using their clan’s fūinjutsu…but now that he thought about it there was one more thing.

Boruto twisted around to look up at her. “Granny, can I see the mask?” he asked.

She frowned at him and he saw worry fly across her face. “What mask?”

“Old Man Shira’s mask. So, I can prove to Grandma I’m really her grandson.”

Granny Fumiyo stared at him for a minute before nodding and pulling out the familiar black oni mask from her pouch. “Careful,” she cautioned before finally handing to him. The mask hummed with chakra in his hands, reacting immediately to his touch like its counterpart in the future always did. It was only faint, but it was enough to put a grin on his face.

Boruto held the mask up for his grandmother to see. “This mask was carved by your grandmother Mikoto Uzumaki as a wedding present to her father’s last student who was known as Uzushio’s Black Reaper,” he recounted. Back home Granny had told him and Hima so many times that he knew the story like the back of his hand. And if this didn’t convince her, then he all he had to do was summon him there. “And one day when Lady Mikoto was walking along the whirlpools with her husband and their children, they were attacked by some Kiri-nin. The Black Reaper stayed behind to fight them off and he died protecting his family. But she wouldn’t accept it. So, in her grief, she summoned the Reaper Death God and performed a forbidden jutsu that tethered some of her husband’s chakra to his mask that would allow her to summon his spirit back from the Far Shore. And when she summoned him in front of all the clan elders, it made them decide to choose Lady Mikoto as the next head of the clan because it was a jutsu no one had ever been able to successfully do before.”

Grandma’s face was pale when he finished, and for a minute he thought she was going to pass out. “How do you…”

“Kushina...” Granny murmured as her hands tighten worriedly on his shoulders.

“How do you know that?” she finally asked. Her purple eyes swept over his face searchingly and Boruto could only wonder what she was looking for. But she looked scared. So did Grandpa Hokage. “Where did you hear that story from?”

“From Granny Fumiyo,” Boruto told her, fidgeting with the mask in his hands. “She would tell me and my little sister all the time when we were kids. Since me and Hima are the youngest, she wants us to know all of our clan’s history.” He held up the mask and glanced up at them. “And she wanted us to understand how we’re able to talk to someone who had died before Mom and Dad were even born.”

His grandma let out a sob and Boruto jumped, quickly glancing up at Granny Fumiyo. She gently squeezed his shoulder with a small smile before bringing him closer. Grandma dropped to her knees and reached out for him but snatched her hand back at the last second.

“Can I hug you?” she asked in a small voice. Boruto glanced back at Granny Fumiyo again before nodding. Grandma hugged him tight, smooshing their faces close together and squeezing all of the breath from his lungs. “It’s nice to meet you, Boruto,” she whispered. Her arms lingered around him before finally releasing him.

A relieved smile spread across Granny Fumiyo’s face and she clapped her hands together. “I think that’s enough for now. We can ask more questions tomorrow,” she declared, making Grandma and Grandpa Hokage frown in disappointment. “Are you hungry, kiddo? Dinner’s almost ready. We’re having sukiyaki tonight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual I'd love to hear what you guys thought! ^_^
> 
> Up next is Fumiyo!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments and kudos last chapter, guys!

Fumiyo sat at the top of the storage temple’s stairs as she watched Kushina spar with Boruto under the afternoon sun.

Her attention was split. She could barely focus on what was going on in front of her. Some time had passed since her niece’s grandson – a thought she’d never imagined entertaining before the girl even had a child of her own – had appeared on her doorstep begging for help. She played the moment he arrived in her head over and over again every day desperately trying to make sense of it. To understand how she could ever draw another time-based fūinjutsu, much less consider seriously using one again. And she had seen the way Boruto had looked at her. He had a vague idea or at least some sort of understanding.

And there were the masks in the storage temple. The boy seemed to know about all of those as well.

Just how much will she change in the future?

“Fascinating.”

Fumiyo startled and glanced beside her at Minato. She’d forgotten he was there. “What is?”

He pointed at Boruto as the boy attempted to land a blow on Kushina. “That’s the Hyūga clan’s Gentle Fist taijutsu,” he said with amazement.

Kushina’s movements were as wild and unpredictable as ever as she fended off Boruto’s attacks, easily able to keep him in place with a simple body binding seal placed on his chest as she pushed the boy back. But this didn’t stop him for long. Boruto released her seal and formed a hand seal. Three Borutos rushed at Kushina in a synchronized attack. One threw a volley of shuriken that she lazily deflected while another rushed forward with a kunai in hand. Kushina and Boruto traded a few blows, filling the air with the sound of metal scraping on metal, before she landed a firm punch to his sternum. Both clones dispersed in clouds of smoke, only leaving the real Boruto to attack last.

He came hurtling down from above and Fumiyo closely watched as he attacked barehanded. And just as Minato said the boy struck at her with an open palm, his form similar to that of the Hyūgas she’d fought side by side with in the past.

“One of his parents must be a Hyūga then,” Fumiyo hummed, glancing at Minato.

He nodded as Boruto successfully hit Kushina’s shoulder. Familiar strings of sealing formula spread down her arm, tightly pinning it to her side. But Kushina merely formed a half seal with her free hand while kicking up her leg to block his next attack. Both were smiling as they continued to spar, their grins identical.

“It amazes me every time I see him make those clones,” Minato said as he dropped his chin to rest in his hand. “It makes me wonder…” He trailed off and Fumiyo frowned.

She folded her hands in the long sleeves of her yukata. “Don’t get any ideas, Minato,” she murmured, “The less we know, the better.”

“I know.” He leaned back against the pillar beside them with a sigh. “Boruto’s been literally displaced in time and I don’t know to fix it.” Minato dropped his chin down to rest on his knee. “Getting him home has been a lot harder than I thought it would be.”

“I’ve all but given up now,” Fumiyo said with a tired sigh as she thought of all the scrolls filled with their failed attempts to forge a seal. She held her hand up before he could protest. “Without knowing the exact moment in time that he came from we’ll never be able to send him back, Minato. And I don’t want to risk altering the peaceful future he seems to live in by knowing any more than we already do.” He knew this just as well as she did and there was no way any of them was going to act carelessly when it came to their delicate situation.

Minato hummed under his breath, but it sounded more like a frustrated growl to Fumiyo. “I wish we could do more for him...He’s my grandson, dammit!” he cried out.

Fumiyo took hold of her nephew’s hand and harshly tightened her grip around his fingers long enough to make him hiss. “Don’t start thinking like that, Minato,” she scolded as he shook his head and tried to break free from her grasp. “There’s still hope.”

His entire body stilled as he stared up at her. “Are you sure?” he whispered.

She nodded once. “Yes,” she reassured, pulling her hand away to reach around and tap between his shoulder blades. “Boruto has a marker on his back.”

Confusion took over his expression at her words, but she could see the gears turning in his head. It didn’t take long before his eyes lit up with excitement and a slow smile curved at his mouth. “You mean a marker like the ones I use for the Flying Raijin.”

“Exactly.” Fumiyo nodded toward Kushina and Boruto. “He showed me and Kushina this morning,” she told him, handing over the blank talisman she had used to copy it. Minato eagerly took it from her, immediately holding it up to the sun to get a better look. “It reacted when I transferred some of my chakra to it.”

He traced the lines of the seal with an excited grin. “It has to be a failsafe,” he said. “Whoever made the seal must have anticipated something like this happening. Someone accidentally opening that scroll and getting randomly thrown through time.”

“Whoever created the jutsu knew what they were doing. They’re highly skilled and familiar with both the clan’s sealing techniques and your signature jutsu,” she murmured in a low voice, watching as Kushina and Boruto collapsed into the grass.

Minato’s expression turned serious as he stared at her and she focused on Boruto’s laughter as Kushina attacked his sides. He had put on his Hokage face as Kushina liked to say. “I think that someone is you, Fumiyo,” he said after a long moment of silence.

“Oh?”

“Boruto said you were the only one to have used a seal like that before. Remember?”

Fumiyo looked away. She wished the boy hadn’t said that in front of them, but he couldn’t have known that. It was obvious her future self kept no secrets from their family.

It was just another thing she could barely understand about the future.

“Even if that’s true, I don’t think I did it alone,” she finally said. “He told me I trained both of his parents and currently have an apprentice.”

His expression softened. “Really? That’s... that’s amazing.”

She nodded mutely. “I have a lot of questions, Minato, but I know better than to ask. And it’s not as if knowing will actually do us any good.” She let a wide smile spread across her face as Boruto began running toward them with Kushina close on his heels but kept her voice low as she said her next words. “So why bother prying when we’re going to forget this ever happened anyway?”

Boruto quickly closed the distance between them within a few seconds. His grin was bright and infectious and just like Kushina’s as they came to a stop directly in front of Fumiyo and Minato. He and Kushina were both slightly out of breath with their faces flushed red from their spar.

“Did you have fun?” Fumiyo softly asked as she brushed his sweaty blonde hair out of his eyes.

He nodded vigorously. “Yeah, Granny! I’ve never sparred against someone like Grandma before. And it felt good to move around again after being cooped up in the house.”

“I’m glad, Boruto.” Fumiyo reached behind her for the wax paper bag she had brought with her to the temple. Kushina’s purple eyes widened and she let out an excited squeal as she pulled out one of the sticks of dango and offered it to the boy. “For you, kiddo,” she murmured, “A treat for putting up with our demands.”

Boruto blushed and shyly took the dango from her. “Thanks, Granny,” he muttered before curling his arm around her in a brief hug.

Kushina snatched the bag from her fingers and pulled out a stick of dango for herself. “How did you know, Auntie? I’ve been craving these all week!” she asked as she bit into it with a moan.

“I don’t think those were meant for you, Kushina,” Minato chuckled. She only laughed as she sat between them, pulling Boruto down to sit across all three of their laps.

Fumiyo dropped her head down on her niece’s shoulder as the girl excitedly chattered at them about how cool her grandson was. And just as she expected Boruto blushed bright red. A gentle smile pulled at her mouth and she playfully pinched his cheek while Minato wrapped him up in a tight hug. She let her eyes slide shut after a moment and relaxed under the warm sun to the happy sounds of her family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual I'd love to know what you guys thought!! And check out the latest chapter of Retrograde until the next update ^_^
> 
> Up next is Boruto.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the continued support!

Boruto slowly crept across the tatami mats in the sunroom until he stood over Grandpa Hokage. Konoha’s Yellow Flash was dead to the world, mouth slightly open with a little bit of drool while he snored. He knelt beside Gramps and looked him over. He’d heard the snores and seen the blonde hair and for a minute Boruto had thought it was his old man. It had sent a wave of disappointment to crash down on him, but he’d deny it if anybody asked.

He sighed to himself before folding his legs underneath him and settling in to wait. With Granny Fumiyo locked in her study and Grandma out running patrol on the border, he was pretty bored. Gramps had promised to spend the day with him, but he’d just spent three days straight working and Boruto didn’t have the heart to wake him. Not being able to freely leave whenever he wanted was harder than he thought it was going to be when he’d agreed to Granny’s request.

At least he was able to spar with Grandma out at the temple that one day.

The door slid open behind him and Boruto turned. Grandma poked her head into the room with a grin that widened once she spotted him. Before he could react, she held a finger to her mouth and quickly stepped inside and joined him on the tatami mats. “Hey, kid,” she greeted, playfully mussing his hair.

Boruto grinned back at her. “You’re back early. I thought you’d be gone for a few more hours.”

“Nah. It was pretty boring, so we were able to get back earlier than usual,” she told him with a wave of her hand. Grandma looked over at Gramps beside them and nodded at him. “Still asleep, huh? Minato must not have rested properly. Usually he’s so good about taking breaks when he’s in that office for so long.” She gently stroked Gramps’ cheek with a small smile before looking at Boruto again. “Where’s Auntie?”

“In the study. Granny and I spent the morning outside while she sharpened her swords before she had to work,” he told her.

It had been like he was back home for a little while and Granny Fumiyo had probably realized that. She was about his parents’ age right now, but she was just as perceptive as she was in the future. A few times since he’d arrived, she’d been scarily accurate, but it was kinda comforting.

Grandma hummed under her breath. “So, you were stuck waiting for sleepy head to wake up,” she murmured, poking at Gramps’s cheek. When he didn’t react, a sly grin spread across her face. “Want to help me play a prank on Minato?” she excitedly whispered.

Boruto nodded and grinned. “What do you need me to do?”

She leaned in close and whispered in his ear. “Go grab a couple brushes and some ink. Be quick!” Grandma shooed him out of the room and Boruto scrambled into the hallway.

He quickly glanced toward the kitchen, but it looked like all the stuff they were using to show him their seal work last night was cleaned up. That left going into Granny’s study. Boruto turned the opposite direction and knocked on the door at the end of the hall. He didn’t have to wait long until a muffled voice told him to come in.

The smell of sealing ink smacked him in the face the moment he stepped inside the cramped room. Shelves filled with scrolls of different sizes and colors, books, and other loose paperwork covered the walls on both sides of the door. Two swords rested against one of the shelves along with a canvas backpack and what looked like a sleeping bag. Granny Fumiyo sat at the desk in the middle of the room and Boruto quickly moved to stand by her side.

With a practiced stroke of her brush she finished what looked like some kind of explosive tag before pushing it aside. “Hi,” she greeted with a small smile.

Boruto pointed at the tag she just finished. “What’s this? It looks different than the ones we usually use back home.”

“It’s my version of a controlled explosive tag,” she said, holding it up for him to look at. “It’s probably just as potent as something the demolition teams use. I’m going to need them for my next mission.”

“A mission?” he repeated with a frown.

Granny’s smile softened and she gently stroked his face. “I won’t leave until after you’ve gone home, kiddo,” she was quick to reassure. “It’s going to be a long one from what Minato’s told me and it’s not an easy task either. Taking more time to prepare doesn’t hurt either.”

Boruto quickly nodded as his pounding heart slowed. He’d never thought about anybody leaving the village on a mission. It was one thing when Grandma or Granny Fumiyo left for the day or when Gramps spent whole days in his office working. They never went far and always came back in time for dinner. But Granny and Grandma were both jōnin. If something happened, Gramps would need to send them out of the village for who knew how long.

He was prepared to leave at any moment, but he didn’t want to waste any of the time he had with them. Especially with Grandma.

It was a relief to hear she was going to wait for him.

“That...that’s good,” he finally said.

Her sharp purple eyes scrutinized him for a moment before she nodded. “Yeah, kiddo,” she said, smoothing back his hair. “So, what did you need?”

He perked up, remembering what he’d come for. “Right! I need some ink and brushes, Granny.”

“What kind? Plain ink for writing a letter? Or something to do some sealing?” she asked, standing to examine the shelf full of homemade ink.

“Um, probably the kind Grandma can use to draw on Gramps’ face,” Boruto told her truthfully.

Granny’s hand hovered over one of the inkwells on the shelf before she finally picked it up with a chuckle. “Here, this should work, kiddo,” she said, pressing inkwell into his hands. “Don’t let her go overboard. Last time, Kushina all but poured the entire thing on Minato’s face and he couldn’t wash it off for three days.”

Boruto tried to pull away, but her fingers suddenly tightened painfully around his, making him hiss. “Ow! Granny, that hurts!” She released him and snatched up one of her swords before sprinting out of the room. He dumped the ink and followed after her.

Granny stood blocking the doorway to the sunroom with her sword drawn. “Stay behind me.”

“Why? What’s going on?” He pushed past her and saw the outer door leading to the backyard was open too. Gramps blocked it with one of his three-pronged kunai in one hand and the other thrown out to hold Grandma back. “What’s wrong?” he repeated.

Gramps ignored him, focused on whatever was outside. “Who are you?” he sharply demanded, “What are you doing here?”

“Auntie, get him out of here!” Grandma hissed over her shoulder. She flipped her kunai around her hand defensively. “Take him and go!”

Boruto dodged Granny’s outstretched hand and ignored her demands to stay by her side as he pushed past both his grandparents. He needed to see what had them so freaked out. He needed to know for himself.

A man stood next to the meditation pond with his hands on his hips as he looked around the yard. Boruto squinted at him for half a second and gasped.

“Dad!” he called out as he ran at him. Boruto flung himself at his old man and hugged him tight, his familiar chakra immediately wrapping around him like a warm blanket.

Dad crushed him to his chest, nearly suffocating him. “Boruto!” He released him after a long moment, but kept hold of him by the shoulders. “Do you know how worried your mother and Himawari are? We spent days searching the village before we realized what happened,” he scolded him.

Boruto looked down at his feet. “Sorry,” he muttered.

His hands flexed around his shoulders. “I’m just glad you’re okay,” he softly murmured as he crushed him to his chest again.

After a minute Dad released him and they turned to look back at the others. His grandparents warily eyed his old man with their weapons still in their hands, but Granny stood behind them with her sword sheathed. Her smile widened once she noticed and she waved. Dad waved back and Boruto followed him to the house.

“Hey, Auntie,” Dad greeted.

“Finally!” A wide grin spread across her face as she stepped past Grandma and Grandpa Hokage. “Someone who gets it right. Though I suspect I’m a little younger than you right now.”

Dad chuckled, scratching at the back of his head. “Yeah, you’re probably right, Auntie,” he sheepishly agreed.

Her sharp purple eyes swept over his face and then Boruto’s as she met them halfway. “You’re Boruto-kun’s father,” she quietly said, and it wasn’t a question.

Dad nodded, dropping a hand down to rest on Boruto’s head. “That’s right. I’m sorry if he caused you guys any problems.”

Granny shook her head, her smile soft. “No, he didn’t.” She glanced down at Boruto as she firmly planted her sword to stand in the ground at their feet. “I was right—Boruto takes after you. Same blond hair and blue eyes,” she murmured to herself. “May I?” Dad nodded and took hold of her outstretched hand. Boruto jumped as tears suddenly welled in her eyes, but her smile stayed firmly in place as she called back to his grandparents. “It’s alright, you two. He won’t hurt us.”

They warily eyed his old man as they moved to stand beside Granny Fumiyo, neither willing to put away their weapons even after she scolded them. But it just made Dad laugh. “It’s okay, Auntie. If I were them, I’d be cautious of someone able to disarm your security system, too,” he told her with a chuckle.

Boruto held his breath as he glanced between his old man and his grandparents. He didn’t know what to expect. Granny had just accepted Dad’s sudden appearance after taking one good look at him, but Grandma and Grandpa Hokage were another story. It was like the night he’d arrived all over again.

“Who are you?” Gramps demanded in a low voice.

Dad ruffled Boruto’s hair before dropping his hand down to rest on his shoulder. “I’m Boruto’s father,” he answered and judging by the narrowing of Gramps’ eyes that wasn’t quite the answer he was looking for. “I’ve come to take him home.”

But at his words, Grandma stumbled forward with wide eyes as she dropped her kunai in the grass. “Are you really his father?” she asked, purple eyes quickly darting between him and Boruto as she stumbled over her words. “Because if you are, then that would make you... Are you...? I mean, that’s the only logical conclusion if you are and—”

“Kushina, breathe,” Granny suddenly said, cutting her off.

Grandma jumped but never took her eyes off Dad. “Are you my...?”

When she trailed off, Gramps stepped forward as if to shield her. “No offense, but how do we know you aren’t some kind of imposter posing as Boruto’s father?” he questioned.

Before Boruto could defend his old man, Dad held out his fist to Grandma. “This is a weird question, but will you give me a fist bump? I promise it’ll answer Minato’s question.”

Grandma hesitated for a few seconds before pressing her fist against his. Her purple eyes went wide as she started crying but she was smiling. “Minato, it’s okay,” she whispered as she stared up at Dad in amazement. “It’s okay. He’s family.”

Gramps frowned but put away his kunai. “Are you sure?” he stressed as he carefully watched Grandma hug Dad.

She nodded as she pulled Boruto in with them. “Yes,” she murmured, arms tightening around them in a bone crushing hug for a long moment before releasing them. “How long can you stay?” she asked with hope shining in her purple eyes.

Dad held up the back of his hand where a strange seal Boruto didn’t recognize glowed and ticked down with every passing second. “Not long,” he told them with an apologetic smile.

This made Grandma frown in disappointment, but Granny Fumiyo only nodded as she took Boruto by the shoulders. “Go grab your things, Boruto,” she urged him as she gently pushed him in the direction of the house. “Quickly now. We’ll be here waiting, kiddo.”

Boruto ran inside and gathered up the storage scrolls filled with his things from his room before sprinting back outside. Gramps was hugging Dad now and once he got close enough he noticed that he was crying as they rocked back and forth. He stopped beside his old man and Gramps ruffled his hair.

“Ready to go home?” he asked.

He nodded once. “Yeah. Mom’s gonna be really angry though.”

“Rightfully so,” Granny murmured, gently pinching his cheek.

Dad handed Granny Fumiyo a medium sized scroll with their clan symbol painted on it. “Here, Auntie. For after we’ve left.”

She took it from him with a grateful smile, immediately tucking it away inside one of her long sleeves. “Thank you. I wasn’t quite sure how to handle the little detail of our memories.”

“I’m going to miss you,” Grandma sniffled into her sleeve. “I just can’t wait to watch you guys grow up.”

Boruto looked away and deliberately moved to stand behind his old man. This was the moment he’d been dreading. He was a coward who couldn’t look his grandparents in the eye anymore. His old man was way stronger than him to not break down right now.

Dad’s voice was soft and a little sad. “You won’t have to wait long, Mom.”

She gasped and Boruto peered around Dad just in time to see her burst into tears. He looked up at him and his old man patted him on the head before gently pushing him in her direction as he mouthed to hug her. Boruto shyly approached her and wrapped his arms around her waist, hiding his face in her chest as she hugged him back.

He didn’t want to leave, but he had to.

“Bye, Grandma,” he murmured before finally releasing her and hugging Gramps and then Granny Fumiyo. Boruto stepped back when he was done and took hold of his old man’s hand. Without saying anything, Dad tightened his grip.

“We’ll see you soon,” Dad told them and Boruto let him guide him away from Granny Fumiyo’s house and into the trees. They walked for a long time without saying anything before his old man spoke again. “Did you enjoy your time with them?”

He nodded, looking down at his feet. “Yeah.”

“Then that’s all that matters, Boruto.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've gone through a little writer's block, but it's seemed to have passed now so I hope you guys liked this chapter! 
> 
> The next chapter the last one's and it's Boruto.


	5. Chapter 5

Boruto burst out of Yamanaka Flowers onto the main street tightly clutching the bouquets of flowers to his chest. He was late! Like _super_ late. Mom and Granny Fumiyo were gonna kill him!

Today was the most important day of the Rinne Festival for the clan too.

This was the worst possible time to be running behind schedule.

He weaved and dodged around the people as he navigated the packed street. If only he had left when he was supposed to instead of playing one more game with Shikadai and Inojin. Sarada had even tried to warn him, but he’d ignored her and now look where he was.

“Damn it,” he muttered to himself as he struggled to push through the cluster of people surrounding some popup kiosk selling seasonal goods from Wind Country. Someone suddenly shoved him from behind, but instead of landing face first in the pavement warm hands grabbed him by the shoulders and kept him upright. “Uncle Neji?” he gasped.

“Careful, Boruto,” his uncle said as he placed him back on his feet. “Shouldn’t you be at the cemetery?”

Boruto yelped and jumped away at the reminder. “Yeah,” he yelled over his shoulder as he sprinted off again. “See you later tonight at the temple, Uncle Neji!”

He fought his way through the last of the crowds, slowing once he reached the cemetery entrance. Boruto adjusted his grip on his flowers and quickly fixed his hair into some semblance of order before navigating the graves until he spotted his family. He slowed to a walk and tiptoed across the frozen grass, trying to make as little noise as possible. Hopefully, Mom wasn’t using her Byakugan. If she was, he was so—

“Boruto!” Mom sharply called out without turning around. “Where have you been?”

He froze as Himawari, Dad, and Granny Fumiyo all turned with her to look at him. “…Hi? I brought the flowers?” he tried, holding them out for her to take.

His mother turned her glare on him and Boruto could tell she was about to burst. But Granny Fumiyo took pity on him, sighing as she took the flowers from him and pressing one of the bouquets into her arms. “Yell at him tomorrow after the festivities are finished, Hinata dear. At least he didn’t forget the flowers.”

Boruto watched his mother compose herself again as he cautiously moved to stand between Granny and his old man. “Sorry,” he muttered, ducking his head.

“You’re here now,” Dad said, ruffling his hair with a small smile. “That’s what’s important right now.”

He nodded once and took hold of the hand he offered as they kneeled in the frozen grass in front of Grandma’s grave. Granny Fumiyo led the ancestral rites once they were all in place and Boruto tightly closed his eyes. The smoky scent of the incense filled his nose as he silently said a prayer that he hoped she could hear all the way on the Far Shore.

_Hey, Grandma. I hope you’re doing well. It was nice to meet you and Gramps back there. I’m glad I got the chance to spend time with you guys. Hopefully, you’re doing well and eating all the dango you can imagine. Oh! And I promise to visit you and Gramps a lot more often from now on!_

He opened his eyes when he was done just in time to see Granny Fumiyo place the chrysanthemums in front of his grandmother’s headstone. She brushed her fingertips across the characters of her name. Her voice was just barely above a whisper and Boruto had to strain to hear her words.

“Every day without you has been difficult, even after all these years. But you’re always with us when it matters, Kushina-chan,” she whispered. “I love you.”

Granny stood when she was done and everyone followed suit. A soft smile pulled at her mouth as her purple eyes swept over their faces. Her gaze landed on Himawari last and she gently stroked her cheek. “Ready to say hi to Grandpa Minato?” she asked. Hima nodded with a big grin and Granny looked to their mother. “Take her and go ahead, Hinata. I think there are still a few things we want to say.”

Mom quickly glanced at Boruto before nodding. “Of course, Aunt Fumiyo.”

Boruto watched them cross the cemetery to where Grandpa Hokage was buried before looking up at Granny and his old man. A harsh wind suddenly whipped at their clothes and skin, making him shiver uncontrollably and pull his collar tighter around his face and neck. The winter weather made him miss the warmer temperatures he’d gotten used to during his trip to the past.

“Here.” Dad pulled away the green scarf from around his neck and wrapped it around Boruto’s instead. “It was your grandmother’s,” he murmured as he tucked it snugly around him.

Boruto’s eyes widened. “Thanks,” he muttered shyly, hiding his red face in the soft fabric.

Granny Fumiyo folded her hands inside the long sleeves of her formal kimono with a sigh as she stared at his grandmother’s headstone. “It still bothers me that she wasn’t buried with your father, you know,” she muttered, pushing back one of the tags hanging from her hair out of her face. “I understand why, but still.”

“Auntie...” Dad sighed, crossing his arms. “Like I’ve told you before, you can go through the proper channels and—”

She waved her hand dismissively, cutting him off. “No, no. She’s at rest. No use disturbing her now.”

They fell silent again and Boruto glanced up at them, confused. What were they still standing over here for? He didn’t understand why Granny sent Mom and Hima ahead of them. She’d never done anything like that before as far as he could remember. 

His old man suddenly dropped his hand down to rest on his head. “You don’t need to feel guilty, Boruto,” he said.

Boruto froze as his heart frantically beat out of his chest. “Guilty?” he stiffly repeated with a halfhearted laugh. “I don’t feel guilty about anything, Dad.”

“Don’t try that against him,” Granny warned with a low hum from his other side. “Your dad’s like my great-aunt Mito, kiddo. Able to sense the dark emotions people try to keep hidden in their hearts.”

He looked down at his feet, semi-defeated. “I don’t feel guilty,” he mumbled.

“Yes, you do,” Dad softly said as he knelt down to look him in the eye. “You’ve felt guilty ever since we got back a couple weeks ago. And I don’t know why, Boruto. There’s no reason for you to feel this way.”

Boruto kicked at the hard ground. “I stole from you,” he mumbled.

Dad frowned. “...Stole what?”

“The time that you should have spent with Grandma and Grandpa Hokage instead of me.”

“But we’ve already had our own time with them, Boruto,” Granny softly whispered as she ran her fingers through his hair. “You haven’t stolen anything.”

“But didn’t you tell me that they died saving the village the night Dad was born!”

His old man’s expression softened and he firmly held Boruto by the shoulders. “Boruto. I met both of my parents when I was a teenager,” he told him. “And it was one of the greatest moments of my life next to marrying your mother and having you and Himawari.”

Granny sniffed and cross her arms. “What? Was meeting me not important enough to put on that list, Naruto?” she pouted with a playful look aimed at his old man. “Meeting you was definitely one of the highlights of mine. Maybe I should start calling that foolish student of mine ‘nephew’ now.”

“Aunt Fumiyo!” Dad moaned with a pout of his own that made Boruto laugh a little. “You know that’s on the list, too.”

“I know. I just wanted to tease you,” she murmured, pinching his cheek with a grin. Her purple eyes landed on Boruto next and she pinched his cheek too. “And I wanted to calm you down at least a little bit.” She knelt in the grass beside them and rubbed his stiff back in slow, soothing circles. “Boruto, your father and I both had chances to speak face to face with Kushina and Minato, so there was never a reason for you to feel any sort of guilt. You haven’t stolen anything from us.” Granny wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him in close to press a warm kiss on his forehead. “Although it was an accident, treasure the chance you got to meet your grandparents. View it as a gift rather than as some sort of thievery.”

Dad gently squeezed Boruto’s cold hands between both of his warm ones, drawing his gaze. “We certainly don’t see it that way and I doubt Mom would either,” he added with a small smile, glancing back at Grandma’s headstone.

Boruto silently followed his gaze, his grandmother’s smiling face immediately filling his mind. They were right. In the short time he’d been with her, Grandma had made it clear that she was grateful to have the chance to meet him. She’d spent every free moment she could get her hands on with him, telling him countless stories about herself and Gramps, cooking with him, sparring with him, and even teaching him her fūinjutsu. Looking back, he realized that he was the only other family member she’d had contact with since Uzushiogakure had been destroyed besides Granny and Old Man Shirasu. Grandma had never known about the true nature of the masks they kept in the storage temple.

She had cherished their time together and nothing else and he was sure Grandpa Hokage did too.

“You guys are right,” Boruto finally said with a sheepish grin. “I’m sorry. I just…I thought it shouldn’t have been me who met Grandma and Gramps back there but you guys.”

His old man stared at him for a long moment before nodding with a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Well, you did,” Dad said as he ruffled his hair and pulled him up to stand with him. “And don’t be sorry about it either or else, you know.”

Granny clapped her hands together, drawing their attention. “Now that that’s settled, let’s go say ‘hello’ to Minato. We’ve made Hinata and Himawari wait long enough.”

They crossed the cemetery to where his grandfather was buried and once they were ready Dad led the ancestral rites this time. Boruto said a similar prayer to Gramps like the one he’d made to Grandma, promising him that he’d visit more too. By the time they were done, the sun had already dipped low in the sky and it had gotten chiller. But they still had things to do before the day ended.

It was the anniversary of the clan massacre after all.

By the time the sun had fully set, they had completely lit up the entire mask storage temple with candles and lanterns covering every available surface. Incense spilled out from inside and filled the air surrounding the building. And once everything was ready and everybody close to the clan had arrived, Dad put on Granny Fumiyo’s red hannya mask.

He rapidly weaved the long sequence of a hundred hand seals that Boruto could barely follow before firmly clapping his hands. The open space in front of the temple immediately filled with their Uzumaki clan members as they answered his call and were summoned from the Far Shore. Like every year he could remember, Boruto watched his old man approach and formally greet Lady Mikoto as head of the clan. Everything was extremely formal and ridged for what seemed like only a moment before it inevitably turned into a massive party that went well into the night.

By the time midnight rolled around, Boruto was completely partied out with the low music slowly lulling him to sleep. He was wedged between his old man and Granny Fumiyo to keep warm with his mom and Himawari fast asleep beside them on the top step of the storage temple. Old Man Shira and Lady Mikoto were quietly sitting behind them drinking warm sake. A shout drew his attention and he lazily scanned all the different groups of redheads until he spotted Junpei sat with Granny Tsunade and Master Jiraiya and a bunch of their Uzumaki clansmen. It looked like they were doing a drinking game or something.

“Aniki!” Junpei excitedly called out with a wide grin. He held up his cup in one hand and pushed his wild red hair back from his flushed face with the other. “Come have a drink with us, Aniki! Me and Lady Tsunade are winning!”

His old man shook his head as he watched him slam back his drink in one big gulp. “I’m good, Jun. Maybe next time,” Dad yelled back with a wave of his own.

Granny rested her head on top of Boruto’s with a tired sigh as a cold breeze suddenly blew, making him shiver violently. “Sometimes he makes it difficult for me to say I’m his sensei,” she murmured as she wrapped her arms around him. “Doesn’t help that Tsuna’s been a bad influence on him. I’m still surprised he hasn’t picked up her gambling habit.”

“But he’s still family, a part of the clan,” Dad patiently whispered back as he wrapped his jacket around Mom and Hima.

“That he is,” Granny hummed happily as she readjusted the scarf around Boruto’s neck. They fell silent and Boruto closed his eyes, letting their steady breaths slowly lull him to sleep. But Granny suddenly let out a low gasp and his eyes snapped open. “Naruto, look there!” she whispered urgently.

_“Reaper Death God,”_ his old man breathed, suddenly going still. “He’s not alone this year. I can sense two others.”

She nodded sharply. “They’re with him.”

“Who’s with the Shinigami, Granny?”

Granny Fumiyo took his hand and used it to point toward the path leading back to the village. “Kushina and Minato are standing by his side right there, Boruto-kun,” she whispered.

Boruto’s heart started racing and he leaned forward to get a better look. He didn’t immediately see anything and was about to say as much when his vision suddenly changed and he could see them. They were just colored shapes and outlines flanking the transparent image of the Great Shinigami on either side him.

But he could definitely tell they were his grandparents. He’d know those smiles anywhere.

“Wave, you two!” Granny Fumiyo hissed as his old man quickly dragged him to sit in his lap. “Quickly now! They’ll be gone soon!”

The three of them frantically waved their hands and to Boruto’s surprise they waved back. He soaked up the sight in front of him and committed it to memory, silently wishing that Hima could be a part of this. But barely five seconds passed and then they were gone just as suddenly as they appeared.

“Did that finally ease your heart, Boruto?” Dad asked, pressing his hand on his chest right above his heart.

Boruto stilled at his question, thinking over his words, before nodding and putting his hand on top of his. “Yeah.” He hadn’t left all of his guilt behind in the cemetery like he’d thought, but it was definitely gone now. “Yeah, it did, Dad.”

A more genuine smile than the one he’d given earlier spread across his old man’s face and Boruto returned it. “I’m glad, Boruto.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the support and love given to this little story! I hope you guys liked it as much as I liked writing it ^_^
> 
> Fun fact: Fumiyo could see the Reaper Death God, Kushina, and Minato as clearly as she can Naruto while Naruto couldn't see them all. He could only sense them like he could Madara during the 4th Great War.
> 
> Next on the docket is Chapter 15 of Retrograde.


End file.
